A North Carolina state highway patrol trooper has been charged with the murder of the captain of a county sheriff’s office.
Cumberland county Capt Adam Bean was shot and killed on 27 March at a home in the town of Hope Mills. A grand jury on Tuesday indicted Nekime Matu Oxendine, 44, with first-degree murder in Bean’s death, and a judge ordered him held without bond pending the outcome of the case.
The case represents an extremely rare instance of one law enforcement officer killing another. Research shows such cases are highly uncommon – and when they do occur, they are most often linked to inadvertent friendly fire or mistaken identity.
Search warrants obtained by the North Carolina news station WTVD in May identified Oxendine as a North Carolina state highway patrol sergeant who, according to a witness, fired the shots.
The witness, a Cumberland county sheriff’s office employee, told investigators Bean arrived home and became upset after seeing Oxendine’s truck parked there, according to the documents reported by the outlet.
Investigators said Oxendine came out of the house carrying a gun and fired one shot into the ground. Moments later, he allegedly opened fire again, striking Bean with several shots.
Bean was found lying on his back in the front yard. When police arrived, Tara Lynn Whitman – who reportedly had relationships with Bean and Oxendine – was performing CPR on Bean while Oxendine remained nearby. Officials said Bean was pronounced dead at the scene.
Court filings from state investigators indicate the deadly encounter came after years of mounting tension involving Bean, Oxendine and their relationships with Whitman. Investigators said Oxendine had shown persistent jealousy and insecurity over the years concerning Whitman’s connection with Bean.
Oxendine remains on administrative leave.
Bean had served with the Cumberland county sheriff’s office for 20 years. His survivors include his son, parents and two siblings.
Bean was honored on Wednesday when he posthumously received a merit award recognizing his service and lasting contributions to the sheriff’s office.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the sheriff’s office wrote that Bean’s “efforts helped strengthen the agency’s ability to recruit, retain, and support highly qualified personnel while contributing directly to the continued effectiveness of public safety operations throughout Cumberland”, adding “his legacy continues through the many contributions he made to this agency and the people he served”.
